A summer spent with the Island Movers helped last season's incoming freshmen for the University of Hawai'i baseball program.

Pitchers Keahi Rawlins, Guy McDowell and Rich Olsen played significant roles for UH. Outfielder/catcher Matt Inouye and second baseman Isaac Omura were named to the Freshmen All-America team.

Left-handed pitcher Kaimi Mead of Roosevelt is hoping the experience he gets this summer will prepare him for his freshman season at UH.

"We play a lot of games and it will help me get used to the atmosphere of a long season," said Mead. "I'll try to refine my pitches and make myself better."

The Island Movers, who opened practice yesterday, start the season Friday with a three-game series against the O'ahu All-Stars at Les Murakami Stadium.

Former UH and professional pitcher Richard Olsen, father of the UH pitcher, is the Movers' coach.

"The closer they get to facing (collegiate) competition, the easier it is for them to adapt," Olsen said of the success experienced by last year's UH freshmen.

The Movers play 46 games within about a two-month period. For Hawai'i high school players, that is more than double the number of games they play in a season.

Mead is one of two UH recruits who will pitch for the Movers. The other is Pearl City graduate Jonathan Serapion, who missed his senior season after breaking his leg during a preseason game. He pitched a scoreless inning in the SportStan Sugar Mill Classic on Memorial Day. That was his first outing since the injury.

"We'll move him along slowly," Olsen said.

Last year, the Rainbows did not have any players on the Movers because the head coach was UH volunteer coach Keith Komeiji. NCAA rules prohibit players from playing for their coach in summer leagues, but does allow recruits to play.

The only Rainbow on this summer's roster is Olsen's son. Otherwise, most of the team is made up of Hawai'i collegians at Mainland schools.

Olsen said Island Movers president Don Takaki wanted a UH presence on the team, even if it is only one player.

"With Keith there, we couldn't take a UH player," said Olsen, who was an assistant with the Movers last year. "He did a good job for us last year, but Don wanted a UH player on the team. As we travel, a part of us is the University of Hawai'i and transferring that good will. We try to keep that UH connection."

The Movers will play in Japan from June 23 to July 14. They will play games in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Sendai and Sapporo.

They close the season with an international tournament, Aug. 7 to 10, which features teams from Japan.